


Getting Above Himself

by Joylee



Series: A Truth Universally Acknowledged [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Victorian, F/M, Fluffaplooza 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23706772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joylee/pseuds/Joylee
Summary: The toffs were interested in Gold for his money.  And he had enough of it that they were willing to invite him to dine and even an occasional party.  He never expected to be accepted for more than that.
Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Series: A Truth Universally Acknowledged [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1707343
Comments: 11
Kudos: 40





	Getting Above Himself

**Author's Note:**

> I prompted a variation on this for Worryinglyinnocent ‘s Super Fluffy Smutty Sunday. (Her’s is better. Check it out at https://worryinglyinnocent.tumblr.com/post/190606882004/fic-the-measure-of-a-man It’s got Moe as Mrs. Bennet.) But was so taken with the idea that I wrote my own Victorian version.

The ballroom glittered as couples swirled in complex patterns. Standing off to the side of the room, Gold calculated that between the candles and the flowers Lady Blanchard had spent enough to feed a family of four for a year. 

Or pay for one of his suits. He was really in no position to be judgmental. 

Mostly he was bored. Conversation was impractical over the music. Assuming he could find someone who wanted to discuss something other than the latest gossip. Lord Blanchard had done himself no favors by inviting Gold to this ball. If he wanted to convince Gold to back his new son-in-law in the upcoming parliamentary elections, he should have considered that a _ball_ hardly constituted entertainment for a lame man who did not gamble. (Well, not with cards or dice at any rate.) If he had not been interested in learning what the government was planning to propose in its next budget he would have left long since.

Sighing he headed back to the refreshment room. With any luck there would be some decent wine.

The refreshment room was nearly empty. A couple of boys, barely old enough to be out on the town, with laden plates were eating like they had not seen food in a week. Gold had to smile. Bae still picked at his dinner, but would no doubt soon be eating like those two.

The only other occupants were an older lady dozing over a half finished glass of wine and her younger charge who appeared to be deeply interested in a book.

Presented a choice of Champaign or mediocre sherry, Gold opted for tea instead. From the tea table he was able to get a better look at the young lady and realized it was Lady Belle. He had been paired with her a week ago at dinner when Lord Blanchard introduced him to his son-in-law. Gold, while hardly expert on the subtleties of high society, knew enough to know that assigning an attractive, young daughter of the nobility as his dinner partner meant that she must be a very poor relation of the Blanchards indeed. One whose marriage prospects were so lacking as not to be worth pairing her with any of the more eligible men at the table.

Not to mention that the son of two seamstresses could spot a twice turned gown even by the poor lighting of the Blanchard’s formal dining room.

She had been an intelligent and witty conversationalist though. Gold had enjoyed that dinner more than any society event he had ever been invited to. All those young men with political aspirations were missing a jewel by ignoring her in favor of the better dowered young ladies. A smart wife would get them farther than any amount of money.

As he contemplated whether that dinner was sufficient introduction to approach her now, and whether she would even want to have her reading interrupted, she looked up from her book and smiled at him.

It would be rude not to respond. He approached the table. “Good evening, Lady Belle.”

“Mr. Gold.” She nodded. “Are you enjoying the ball?”

“Uhm…” He knew what he was supposed to say to that, but she had seemed to enjoy forthright conversation. He hedged. “It’s not really to my taste. And you, my lady, you do not dance?”

She sighed. “When given the opportunity I enjoy dancing, but there are more young ladies than gentlemen who dance to partner them so I retired here to read rather than requiring our host to stretch the partners even thinner.”

“By your own choice or on a hint from Lady Blanchard?”

Pursing her lips did not quite hide her smile. “Her sister actually. Although being cognizant of my indebtedness to Lady Blanchard, I would have withdrawn in any event.”

Gold made a mental note to make discreet inquiries as to what that ‘indebtedness’ involved. But it would not do to embarrass her by asking outright. “Since I am one of the gentlemen distorting the numbers and keeping you from the dance floor, may I at least bring you some refreshment?”

“Thank you that would be most kind.”

A small tip to one of the waiters for the delivery of a wide selection of both sweet and savory items solved the problem of how to manage both dishes and his cane. She opted for tea rather than wine even though he assured her that his own choice was based on the quality of the available beverages rather than any moral censure.

“If a gentleman of good tastes finds the wine lacking I see no reason to doubt his assessment.” She had responded.

“I’m not sure I’m strictly entitled to either accolade, my lady.”

“Your good taste is evident from your reading habits and wardrobe, and your manners proclaim you a gentleman.” She shook her head. “Having fended off the advances of more than one drunken young officer whose birth should proclaim him better than that, I have come to be something of an expert on the subject.”

He would have thought her title would be sufficient to keep young men in line. Then again drunken louts were a problem regardless of their social standing.

Over their ices they fell into a discussion of promoting education of the working class. The book she was reading advocating it as a means to improve the morals of the poor.

“I don’t know about morals,” Gold told her, “But an educated workforce is a boon to any employer. And gives the brighter lads a way to improve themselves generally. I bless my aunts for making sure I was able to attend Grammar school.”

“Mama gave me my lessons.” She looked wistful. “We had hoped I would be able to go away to school when the time came, but we lost her before that. At least I was able to share Mary Margaret’s tutors after I came to live with the Blanchards.”

It seemed wise to make the conversation less personal after that. Although it did give him a starting point for his inquiries. 

A question about what else she had recently read led to an enthusiastic description of a new author she was taken with. He was a ‘futurist’ and had written an exciting adventure entitled The Time Machine. Gold found the whole idea a bit far-fetched, but the delight with which she described it had him resolving to buy a copy to read on the train back to Glasgow.

They had just discovered a shared preference for Thomas Hardy, when Lord Blanchard appeared. “Ah, Gold, this is where you’ve got to. The Chancellor has arrived and he wants to meet you.”

Wants to meet his wallet more like, but this was the chance Gold had been waiting for so he regretfully excused himself. “Forgive me, Lady Belle, I’m sorry to leave such an interesting conversation.”

“I too have greatly enjoyed our talk.” She bit her lip, a gesture Gold found oddly charming. Then hesitantly said, “We are at home on Thursdays. After four o'clock. Perhaps, if you are not otherwise engaged, we could continue this conversation then?”

She wanted him to call? Gold was left speechless for a moment. Then he rallied. Blanchard wanted his support badly enough that he doubted even Lady Blanchard would object to his calling. “I look forward to it, my lady.”

Blanchard eyed him like a prize ram at market as they left the refreshment room. Clearly coming to a decision, he suddenly grinned. “I’ll let Regina know to expect you on Thursday.”

Which Gold interpreted to mean Blanchard would be directing his lady to be gracious to the jumped up tradesman. Blanchard slapped his shoulder and continued. “Lovely girl Lady Belle. Bit of a bluestocking but lovely. My cousin’s daughter you know. Fine family if a bit down on their luck. Now let's find the Chancellor.”

Gold did not extract as much information from the Chancellor as he had hoped. He was too dumbfounded at the prospect that Lord Blanchard appeared to be actively promoting a match between himself and Lady Belle. He did not have enough money to be regarded as even remotely suitable to court an actual Lady.

Did he? 

A vision of Lady Belle’s blue eyes danced before him. If he did not he could make more. Making money was easy. Finding a woman like Lady Belle was not.


End file.
